A sizable artwork by the British artist John Opie, which was stolen in 1969, has recently been recovered and returned following a two-year investigation by the FBI.
Opie’s oil on canvas masterpiece, “The Schoolmistress” (1784), measures approximately 40 inches by 50 inches. Acquired by Dr. Earl Leroy Wood during the Great Depression in the 1930s for $7,500, the painting became the target of a failed burglary attempt by three thieves at Dr. Wood’s home in early July 1969. Undeterred, the thieves returned on July 25 and successfully stole the artwork.
During a 1975 trial, one of the thieves testified that the theft had been orchestrated under the direction of then-New Jersey State Senator Anthony Imperiale, who had responded to the initial incident at Dr. Wood’s home.
“The home’s caretaker informed Senator Imperiale that the 1784 Opie painting was ‘priceless,’ as stated in a press release from the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office.
The journey to return the painting to Dr. Wood’s son Francis, now 96 years old, began in December 2021 when an accounting firm in Utah contacted the FBI. This firm was tasked with liquidating a client’s properties and personal belongings after his passing in 2020. Among the client’s past residences was a property in Hallandale, Florida, acquired from convicted mobster Joseph Covello, Sr. in 1989.
“The Opie painting was unknowingly part of the home’s sale, with the client unaware of its identity or history. Subsequently, the client sold his Florida residence and relocated the painting to St. George, Utah, where it remained until his death in 2020,” as stated by the FBI.”
